What we want to do is to focus on what we see as an important aspect of any pizza chain. Does MOD Pizza make a gluten-free pizza crust on offer?
MOD Pizza has certainly made some headway in the battle to establish itself as a major pizza chain, and that’s no mean feat. However, we don’t wish to focus on that part of their business right now, as we have something even more important to discuss.
You see, the number of people seeking out gluten-free options continues to increase, and we feel that it’s our duty to let you know all about those pizza chains that have this option on their menu.
In this instance, we will focus on MOD Pizza and see not only if they do have a gluten-free pizza, but also if it’s any good. Let’s face it, there’s no point buying it if the crust is something of a letdown.
So, let’s begin by checking out if gluten-free appears on the menu at MOD Pizza. Also, if it does then is this pizza something you want to go ahead and actually order?
The Answer
MOD Pizza does indeed have a gluten-free pizza crust, but they also go one extra step by also offering a cauliflower crust. That means MOD Pizza is one of the few pizza chains that have more than one option for those people looking at avoiding gluten.
This is amazing news, and we feel more pizza chains should also offer a cauliflower crust for people not only trying to avoid gluten, but also those on a low-carb diet.
We do love that MOD Pizza has made this decision. However, everything is not perfect when it comes to their gluten-free options. So, what is actually available to you, and how does the crust itself taste?
But first, we need to discuss something very important.
The Problem with Cross-Contamination
MOD Pizza themselves have taken the unusual step of stating that anybody with celiac disease should not eat their gluten-free pizza. However, it’s not because of gluten in the crust. Instead, it’s all connected to the possibility of cross-contamination.
They accept that things do not work as smoothly as they should when it comes to dealing with gluten-free products. People working in their restaurants will make mistakes and place gluten-free crusts where crusts that contain gluten were just sitting.
Also, they do accept that people forget to change utensils, so the same equipment is used no matter the pizza. While this does make you feel rather disappointed, at least MOD Pizza comes across as honest about their failings.
So the issue regarding cross-contamination is very real, and it’s something you must think about carefully before you order. However, we do feel that people simply with gluten intolerance will more than likely have no issues.
The Size
For some weird reason, pizza chains always make sure their gluten-free crusts come in at the lower end of the size scale. MOD Pizza is no different in that sense.
You will find that the gluten-free crust is in line with their small normal pizza options, and that’s always disappointing. However, if you have ever ordered pizza from anywhere else, then you will undoubtedly have experienced this before.
But we do see a slight difference when it comes to MOD Pizza. While their gluten-free crust does still come in as small, it’s larger than most other pizza chains. That’s because it measures 12 inches in size whereas others tend to be around 10 inches.
That slight difference actually helps. It makes you feel as if you actually have had a good pizza. Other chains leave you with a feeling of wanting a bit more due to the size of their pizza, but MOD Pizza avoids this problem.
The Taste
As their gluten free crust options are in line with your typical thin crust pizza, then you can expect it to have a bit of a crunch when you bite into the crust. But we would like to mention something else, the chew.
This crust does come with a bit of a chew, but it’s not over the top where you feel as if you never get anywhere. Your jaws will not hurt with this pizza. Instead, it does tend to veer onto the side of more of a biscuit-style texture rather than too much dough.
However, most people do get a sense of satisfaction when they bite into the crust. It has a tendency to come across more like a normal crust than you would expect, and we love that fact.
But there is also a feeling that it would just not taste the same if it went beyond a thin crust option. It would become overpowering and would ruin your entire experience, and that’s not a good thing with pizza.
Thankfully, MOD Pizza has kept everything on the thin side. So, you get to experience the crunch and the flavor without stressing and worrying about it being too much for you to cope with.
The Sauce
Some pizza chains offer only one pizza sauce if you need to avoid gluten, but that’s not the case here. MOD Pizza actually has a number of sauces, and then you have the dipping sauces as well.
In this sense, you feel as if they spoil you to a certain extent, and it does make a huge difference when it comes to making up your own pizza. Also, the sauce from MOD Pizza comes with a reasonable tang to it, and this gives another layer of flavor to your pizza.
The Toppings
Almost all of the toppings with MOD Pizza remain gluten-free, so you can look at nearly everything they have and know you will have no problems. They currently offer a wide range of veggies and meats while you also have five or six different types of cheese to choose from as well.
Put all of this together, and what you get are a number of options when you want to design your own MOD pizza.
But we do still stress that it’s best to go ahead and ask MOD Pizza for advice on any toppings that might not fall into the realm of gluten-free. You may end up surprised as to what can contain gluten in it, and make sure they double-check that the sauce has not had some contamination.
Overall though, we would not worry that much about the toppings. They tend to not affect people searching for the gluten-free option, and their toppings do tend to come across as rather tasty.
Is it Any Good?
Overall, we do feel that what MOD Pizza offers from a gluten-free perspective is actually really good. We mentioned they do also have a cauliflower crust, and we think this makes a real difference.
However, even with the cauliflower crust, you need to understand the real risk of cross-contamination. If they only sorted that out and made sure staff followed the rules, then anyone requiring a gluten-free pizza would have an amazing pizza.
But we do feel that MOD Pizza hits the mark in so many different ways. Sure the crust comes out at the same sort of size and thickness as any other gluten-free crust, but they do make sure it’s not bland or boring.
The only problem, as it is with any pizza, is you do depend on the skill of the person cooking the pizza. Any gluten-free crust does appear to come across as quite fragile compared to other options. It doesn’t take much for things to go wrong when they overcook the pizza and your entire pizza-eating experience is ruined.
But there’s a reason why the gluten-free crust by MOD Pizza tends to come out rated highly so often, and it’s because it doesn’t always taste like it’s gluten-free. They don’t try to overcomplicate things with too many types of flour, and we love that fact.
They attempt to keep things nice and simple, and the result is something that works well.
Overall Conclusion
MOD Pizza offers not only a gluten-free pizza crust but also a cauliflower crust for anybody who wishes to avoid gluten for whatever reason. The fact they have taken that extra step and actually offered cauliflower crusts is different to most, and we love them for that single fact.
Also, their gluten-free crust actually tastes quite good. It is certainly up near the top when it comes to taste and flavor. However, MOD Pizza still suffers from the same issues you see with every major pizza chain in that the pizza only comes in one size.
If they only provided customers with the opportunity to purchase a gluten-free pizza in different sizes then life would be so much better. But apart from that, we have little to complain about when it comes to a gluten free crust from MOD Pizza.
